Chicago Museum celebrates unity in diversity during the holiday season

By Anna Hughes A Christmas tree is a universal symbol across the globe, representing faith, hope, and the season of joy and giving. The decorated evergreen branches are the traditional backdrop for some of life’s most precious moments, from Santa’s visits to family movies around the fire. It represents a common thread that weaves itself…

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65 & Still Serving

The Downers Grove Junior Woman’s Club celebrates a milestone anniversary and its founder By Valerie Hardy | Photography by Carolina Menapace On Sept. 24, Emmett’s private party space – aptly named the Founder’s Room – was packed with women who were pretty in pink. None more so than Shirley Tolbert, however. Tolbert was the guest of…

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A Local Legend: Catching up with “Kup”

By Valerie Hardy Meeting with Will Kupisch at Panera was like sitting with a celebrity. Every few minutes someone would come up to greet him with a hello, handshake, or hug. One of these people was Carey Greene, a 1993 Downers Grove North High School graduate, who lives in New Hampshire but was in town…

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Making a Comeback: The Return of the Cicadas

By Anna Hughes | Photos courtesy of the The Morton Arboretum A rare ecological event is happening this spring and summer, but it comes with lots of crawly legs and beady eyes. For the first time in 221 years, two broods of cicadas (Brood XIX, which arrives every 13 years, and Brood XIII, which comes…

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Doors Open: Transition 99 Celebrates New Facility

BY VALERIE HARDY PHotos by Carolina Menapace District 99 students, educators, and community members celebrated the expansion of the Transition 99 Center (4232 Venard Road) at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 23. Construction began in the spring in order to provide space to accommodate the Transition 99 Program’s growing enrollment of students ages 18-22 who…

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Best of 2023: Readers’ Choice Awards 2023 Winners

We asked, you responded. For the fourth year in a row, we have completed our annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey. With hundreds of responses, we wanted to share with you your favorites as voted on by our readers. From restaurants to boutiques, many in our community frequent these places as first time guests to “regulars.”…

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AWE Autumn

Oktoberfest Sponsored by the Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 Friday, September 15 from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday, September 16 from 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Oktoberfest, held in downtown Downers Grove on Burlington Avenue between Main Street and Forest Avenue, is a two-day German themed celebration with live music, entertainment Kids…

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